Catching Up With Quigley: Week in Review

Dear John,

With Congress officially back in Washington, D.C., I wanted to fill you in on some of the work I did this week.

1. Signed Discharge Petition to Expand Social Security Benefits

On Tuesday, I signed a discharge petition on the Social Security Fairness Act, legislation to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). WEP and GPO are two tax provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for 40 million retired federal, state, and local government employees who receive pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security. The WEP has resulted in thousands of employees, including teachers and first responders, collecting significantly lower social security benefits each month than they otherwise would. If the petition receives 218 signatures from members of Congress, Speaker Johnson and the House Republican majority will have to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote.

2. Reaffirmed Ensuring Emergency Abortion Care for All

On Thursday, I became an original cosponsor of a resolution to reaffirm my support for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The resolution states that EMTALA protects access to emergency abortion care in every state, and that all women, no matter where they live, should be able to receive the emergency care they need, including abortion. Across the country, access to abortion care, even in emergency circumstances, is under threat. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court had the chance to reaffirm that federal law requires pregnant patients to have access to life-saving emergency care in every state. However, they refused to do so and sent the case back down to the lower courts. This is a dangerous failure on the part of the court to stand up for women's health and bodily autonomy. It is critical that Congress take immediate action to protect a woman's right to care that could save their lives.

3. Introduced the Stand With Ukraine Act

Earlier this week, I was proud to reinforce my support for Ukraine's fight against Russia by introducing the Stand With Ukraine Act. This legislation would ensure that the 10-year Bilateral Security Agreement made in June 2024 between the United States and Ukraine is upheld and further promote peace and security in Ukraine. Additionally, it would fast-track the delivery of critical equipment, modernize Ukraine’s security capabilities, and affirm our commitment to their reconstruction. Most importantly, this bill will show our adversaries that our assistance is not contingent on their threats – we will stand with Ukraine today, tomorrow, and long after they defeat Vladimir Putin.

Don't forget, our office is always here to help.

You can call my DC office at (202) 225-4061 or my Chicago office at (773) 267-5926. You can also email me through my website at Quigley.house.gov/contact.

Sincerely,

Mike Quigley